Educators urge academic activity over summer break

May 28, 2008

CNJ staff photo: Liliana Castillo Juanita Calbert and Guadalupe Heredia, 6, count the dinosaurs in a book at Clovis-Carver Public Library. Calbert, Heredia’s case manager with TeamBuilders, said she brings the children to the library to read and play educational games on the compute

By Liliana Castillo: CNJ staff writer

Read, read, read.

That’s what four Clovis school principals from elementary school through high school suggested for their students to stay mentally sharp over the summer break.

“Reading is the key to the educational system,” Clovis High School Principal Jody Balch said. “If you are read to and continue reading, life is pretty good to you.”

Clovis educators urge students to do lessons in many subjects over the summer to diminish regressing.

Teachers at Sandia Elementary School and Marshall Middle School sent summer material packets home with the students to encourage students to stay academically active.

Sandia Principal Jay Brady said the packets are geared to help students retain what they’ve learned over the past year and a little to prepare the students for the upcoming year.

But Brady also stressed that children should have a break.

“There’s a whole slew of things for kids to do,” Brady said. “They should be creative, play like crazy. Summer is for play. That way when they come back to school, they’re ready to focus.”

Marshall Dante Thacker said lessons should be integrated into regular summer activities.

“It would be good for children to figure out the distance or time is takes them to go on a trip or vacation,” Thacker said. “Let them integrate math in that way.”

Marshall summer packets focused on parents and children working together over the break. The packets from both schools featured activities in math, science, English, social studies and reading.

Each of the educators stressed being active over the summer.

“Don’t sit with a Game Boy in one hand, a cell phone in the other and the clicker in another,” Balch said. “Stay involved with outside activities and read.”